Means for facilitating the marking of button positions on shoes.



' WITNESSES 0. R. ROBNIUS 3 W. F. GLEUE. MEANS FOR mcmn'rme THE MARKING0F BUTTON rosmons 0N saons.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1913,

1,1 12,096. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

WWW Y THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTO'LITHOH WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

orrro n. ROENIUS AND WILLIAM F. GLEUZEl, or emits nAPIns, MICHIGAN.

MEANS non FACILITATING THE MARKINGHQF BUTTON POSITIONS onsnons.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Orro ,R...ROEN,IUS, a citizen of the United States,and WILLIAM F. GLnUn, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing atGrand Rapids, in the county of Wood and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented a new and useful Means for Facilitating the Marking of ButtonPositions on Shoes, of which the following is a specification. U 1 rThis invention has reference to improvements in means for facilitatingthe narking of button positions on shoes, and its object is toprovide adevice upon-which a shoe may be placed for properly positioning thepoints Where buttons are to be applied, the device of the presentinvention being designed for use in connectionwith button.

shoes. I

In the manufacture of button shoes the buttons are applied by a machineWhile the buttonholes aremade by :another machine and their positionsare regulated by an op-.. erator so that oftentlmes there Is more or.

be irregularly spaced. For this purpose the.

invention comprises a form having a foot end and a leg portion, both ofwhich need only generally conform to the shape of the human foot andadjacent portion ofthe human leg, since the foot portion is designedsimply as a positioning member to be in sorted in the foot portion ofthe shoe to be treated, while the leg portion is designed as a supportfor the button and buttonhole flies, so that the buttonhole fiy may beoverlapped on the small quarter. to an appropriate extent, and then havea smooth support permitting the marking of the positions of thebuttonholes upon; the small quarter by means of alead pencll or othersuitable marking too-l, whereby the buttons may be locatedaccuratelywithre Specification. of Letters Patent. I Patented Sept;Application filed Januaryfil, 1913: Serial No. 745,522.

. lation to the buttonholes even though the latter be sightly avoided.

quite unevenly spaced, and un- By the useof thelpresent inventionbutt-on.

shoes may be furnished to the dealers with wrinkles and ill fittingshoe'tops are l but a'very few of the buttons,say, those at the insteponly,.in. position, while there,

mainderoflthe buttons may be omitted to be appliedwwhen theshoeis-fitted to the customer, whereupon theshoe is placed upon theholder of the present invention and the buttonho-le fiy may be. broughtintoinonwrinklii-ig relation to the small, quarter and the positioningof the buttons accurately located throughithe buttonholes, such buttonsbeing, applied by the aid of the button applying machines usuallypresent in shoestores." 5 t r I 1. The IIIVQIltlQIr will be bestunderstood fro-m a conslderation of the following detailed: descriptiontaken in connection. with the accompanying drawings forming Ia part ofthis specification with the furthernnderl standing that while,thedrawings show a practical-embodiment of the invention, the

"latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the'showing of thedrawings, but

may be changed and ,modified so long as such changes and mod ficationsmark ho I material departure from the salient features of the invention.

, In the drawi1 1gs: F igure 1 is a plan view of the structure I of thepresent invention with a shoe applied thereto, the latter being shownpartly in full lines-and partly in dotted'lines. Fig. 2 is asection onthe line 2+2 of Fig. 1, but drawn to a larger scale, withdistantpartsomitted. Fig. 3 is a section on the line of; Fig. 1 butdrawn to a larger scale. ,Fig. 4t is a section on the line 4&4 of Fig."3. Fig. 5 isa perspective] view of the form removed from its support.Referring to the drawmgs, thereis. shown a form l corresponding-1n shapeto, a shoe tree having an instep portion 2 correspond v mg m curvatureto the natural. curve. of

the instep, and the form 1 has afoot portionS ofshorterlengthand-otherwise of smaller size than thefoot receivingf-portion of a shoe adapted to the form, and

said formfalso has a leg portion at, which Klatterkmay in some degreeconform to the shape of the human leg above the ankle'to a'pointsomewhat higher than is reached by a shoe indicated: in the drawing at5. The

leg portion 4 may be thinnerthan the corresponding portion of the humanleg and may, in fact, berelatively fiat or it may conform quite closelyto the shape of the human leg for a distance above the ankle. In Fig. 2the leg 4t is shown as a. relatively flat ellipse .in cross section, butit is to be understood that the showing of thefl-drawings 'in' this.

' respect is more or less indicative, and in practice it is customary toprovide two or threeuor more forms of different slzes With part 6 of theform is designed for introduction into a socket 9 produced in a holder10 shown in the drawings as formed of two nested U-shaped fiat metalmembers 11,12, rivetedtogether with the adjacent yoke portions spacedapart; The yoke portion of the member 11 has a perforation 13therethrough normally traversed by a block 1 1 on oneend-of a leafspring 15, the block being rounded onthe free face so as to lodge in oneof the recesses 7. The member 11 has its side portions or legs formedwith terminal flanges 16 by means of which it may be fastened on a tableor counter 17 or other suitable support. The holding structure for .theform 1 may be otherwise arranged than indicatedin the drawings, so as tobe fastened toj some other supporting structure than the table 17 or thelike, the shape of the holding member being designed to accommodate itto the different positions in which it may be secured.

With a structure such as described the form 1 is readily introducibleinto the socket 9 and will engage and push the block l iout of the wayuntil the recess -7 then uppermost or toward the block 14 isbrought intocoincidence therewith, when the reaction of the spring 15 will cause theblock 14: to-jseat 'in said recess, thus holding the form 1 againstaccidental displacement under conditions of use. The form isreversible-'to accommodate it to right and left shoes and by supplyingforms having different leg portions and differing in the foot part, allthe different sizes of shoes may be readily accommodated, such formsbeing so arranged that a shoe may be slipped onto or off from the samevery easily, while the form is wide enough to serveas a rest for theshoe while marking'the same in the manner to be described. I I

The shoe buyingpublic demands a per feet fitting button shoe, and it istherefore necessary to make the shoes fit well, which can only be doneby having the buttons put on perfectly. Moreover, such an arrangement ofthe buttons gives an even strain on each button so that there is noliability of tearing out the button holes or tearing oif the buttons.

Under the conditions of manufacture no shoes as now manufactured havethe but tons fastened on in the proper relation to the buttonholes,since the manufacturer either cannot or does not mark the spaces for thebuttons through the buttonholes, but simply sews the buttons on by amachine which places the buttons in such spacing as provided for by theset of the machine. The buttons are placed on very regularly, that is,they are spaced equally apart but the buttonholes are each madeseparately, and the spacing depends upon the operator, so that suchspacing is not accurate and no matter how careful the operator may bethe buttonholes and buttons can never match. The present inventionavoids this difficulty by providing means whereby the spaces for thebuttons may be marked through the buttonholes and the buttons may thenbe fastened at the marked places so as to conform exactly with thespacing of the buttonholes. Moreover, it often becomes necessary toreset the buttons either forwardly or backwardly to fit the foot of acustomer, whereupon the buttons having been removed the shoe may beplaced upon the form of the present invention, the flies smoothed outand the places for the buttons marked through the buttonholes, and thenthe but tons may be so placed as to avoid any liability of wrinklingwhen the shoe is placed upon the foot of the customer and buttoned up.

Because of the present invention the dealer may demand of themanufacturer that the shoes be supplied with only those buttons whichfit over the instep and the balance of the buttons toward the topomitted whether the shoes be of regular heights or provided with hightops, while the omitted buttons may be separately supplied. Again, wherealready attached buttons must be removed for fitting, the needle holesare objectionable, and, furthermore, weaken the shoe. This is remediedby the present invention since the major portion of the buttons need notbe applied until the shoe is fitted to the customer and, moreover,fitted in a manner avoiding wrinkling.

By making the form alike on both sides it becomes interchangeably rightand left and by providing two or more forms provision is made for allsizes of shoes.

The supporting device for the form shown in the drawings is of simpleand convenient construction, but this does not preclude the use of othersupporting means capable of sustaining at one time as many forms as.desired where economy of room is not material,

A distinguishing feature of the present invention is that it provides asupport for a button shoe which permits the proper positioning of thebuttonhole fly with respect to the small quarter, so that the positionsof the buttons may be marked thereon in,

proper matching relation to the buttonholes and when the buttons areapplied in the marked positions they will conform to the positions ofthe buttonholes in a manner to avoid any wrinkling due to imperfectrelation of the buttons and buttonholes whether such imperfect relationbe due to the conditions of manufacture or to any other cause, and,furthermore, the present invention permits the supplying of shoes to thedealer with but a minimum number of buttons already in place so that theremainder of the buttons may be afterward applied with the assurancethat the shoe will fit the customer without wrinkling of the flies orunequal strain upon the buttons or buttonholes.

Trade conditions demand that all buttons applied by'the dealer befastened by wire, while the shoes as supplied by the manufacturer havethe buttons fastened with thread. In a very large percentage of casesthe first three to five buttons which hold the shoe over the instep willfit so that resetting of buttons usually applies to those higher up.With the present invention these first three to fivebuttons may befastened with wire which hold the buttons in their proper places muchbetter than thread,

so that there is no liability of these few buttons pulling loose, as isoften the case where they are fastened with thread,and consequentlythere need be no uncertainty about the fit of a shoe; The presentinvention provides a means whereby the remaining buttons may beaccurately placed andmay then be secured by wire in the usual Waywithout having the small quarter of the-shoe weak.- ened or renderedunsightly by the needle holes caused by securing the upper buttons bythread.

What is claimed is z 1. A device for the purpose described, comprising aform having aleg portion of greater width and less thickness than thelike parts of the human leg of a size corresponding to the form, saidleg portion being of flattened elliptical cross-section,

and a foot entering portion of smaller size than the foot-receivingportion of a shoe otherwise adapted to the form, with said foot-enteringportion provided with an instep part corresponding in curvature to thenatural curve of the instep, the legportion of the form being shaped toprovide a solid -or [unbroken sup ort'for the short quarter tion, and aholder provided with a latch member and shaped to receive the flattenedend of the form, said flattened end of the form being shaped on eachface to receive the latch member. 1 i

3. A device for the purpose described, comprising a formhaving a shoeentering part and a shank part, the shank part ter minating'at the endremote from the shoe entering part in a flat portion having recesses onopposite sides and grooves extending from the end of the flat portion tothe recesses, and a holder for receiving the flattened end of the formwith either face of the form uppermost and provided with a yieldablelatch member in position to en-' gage in a respective recess.

4. A device for the purpose described,

comprising a form, having a shoe entering part and a leg portion, thelatter being relatlvelyflat and of elliptical cross-section wlth theshorter axis less, and the longer axis greater than like parts of ahuman le of a size corresponding to the form, and wiere overlaid by thebuttonhole fly and short quarter of a shoe applied tothe form beingsolid or unbroken to constitute a support for the named parts o-ftheshoe during the marking operation.

5. A device for the purpose described, comprising a-form with one endshaped to enter the foot receiving part of a button shoe and. with a legportion longer than the leg receiving part of the shoe to project beyondthe top of the upper of the shoe, the leg portion where correspondingtothe upper of the shoe when applied being in cross-section in the shapeof a flattened ellipse of greater length and less thickness than likeparts of a human leg of a size corresponding to the form, and thatportion of the form remote from the foot entering portion being flat andof substantiallyoirectangular cross-section. i

6. A device for the purpose described, comprising a form with one endshaped to enter the foot receiving part of a button shoe and with a legportion longer than the leg receiving part of the shoe to project beyondthe top of the upper of the shoe, the

leg portion where corresponding to the up- .per of the sh0e when appliedbeing in cross section in the shape ofa flattened ellipse of greaterlength and less thickness than like parts of a human leg of a sizecorresponding to the form, and that portion of the form remote from thefoot entering portion being as our oWn, we have hereto afiixed oursigflat and of 'substantlally rectangular cross natures 1n the presenceof two Witnesses.

section, said device being also'pro-vided With OTTO R. ROENIUS. a socketmember shaped to receive the flat \VILLIAM F. GLEUE. 5 end of the formremote from the foot enter- Witnesses:

in'g part thereof. GEO. P. HAMBREoH'r,

In testimony that We claim the foregoing H. A. BENJAMIN.

Gopies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

It is hereby certified that in the grant and in the heading to theprinted specification of Letters Patent No. 1,112,096, granted September29, 1914, upon the application of Otto R. Roenius and William F. Gleue,for an improvement in Means for Facilitating the Marking of ButtonPositions on Shoes, the residence of the patentees was erroneously givenas Grand Rapids, Michigan, whereas said residence should have been givenas Grand Rapids, Wisconsin; and that the said Letters Patent should beread with this correction therein that the same may conform to therecord of the case in the Patent ()flice.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of October, A. D., 191%,

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

